Voice over Internet protocol technology (VoIP) provides a more cost effective way for communication than traditional public switch telephony network technology (PSTN). Current VoIP systems for personal computers (PCs) and other devices require the installation and configuration of proprietary hardware or software or both. The hardware and software are operating system dependent and require operating system knowledge to install. Current systems require the caller and called party to register with the same VoIP service first and then to authorize each other to be contacted online through the VoIP service before they can even place a VoIP call.
Installation, configuration, registration and authorization requirements, combined with the lacking interoperability between the existing VoIP services make a spontaneous, instant VoIP connection between two or more persons all but impossible. This provides a significant barrier for VoIP penetration in the market.
Instant browser-based VoIP is a desirable feature and there have been previous attempts to create various systems and methods of use. Currently there are two different approaches to the instant browser based VoIP used in the market.
One approach is to provide the user with a web user interface where a user can key in two phone numbers. These numbers are then sent via the Internet to the call server and the call server calls these two numbers using a least cost routing technology. This approach is therefore not a browser based VoIP method but is rather web activated calling and comes with several disadvantages. Users must have an Internet connection and access to two phones and two PSTN lines for one call. Each conversation requires two PSTN connections from the call server to the VoIP/PSTN gateways and a VoIP connection between the gateways. That not only adds up the noise, latency and distortion but it simply requires two paid PSTN calls. Free calling that is often associated with VoIP is not possible with this approach.
Another approach is to use various technology, such as Abobe Air and Flex technology, to build temporary VoIP clients. These involve a click-to-call (C2Call) user experience, since it can start in a browser window, provided the very latest flash live video (FLV) player software, such as Adobe Flash Player version 9, is installed and the user can access Active-X controls. These VoIP clients can be created with a development kit, such as an Adobe CS3 Development Kit, and use the audio track of a FLV or flash video format and transmission control protocol (TCP) streaming that works only with a proprietary and not an open source codec, such as the Nellymoser Asao codec, so there is no choice of a license-free codec. A second problem is that any voice communication must be streamed through a flash media server, where it is then not possible to establish a peer-to-peer connection. All voice traffic must go through the flash media player server, which demands huge Internet bandwidth and a server farm for a larger deployment. Not having peer-to-peer capabilities further reduces the voice quality and does not provide the best possible Internet connection between the two peers, since both parties must connect to the media server for the call. This forced routing through defined servers also adds latency and reduces connection quality.
Software solutions, such as Adobe solutions, also work only on supported systems and with the latest flash player software, such as Adobe Flash Player version 9, installed. Adobe Flash also requires different drivers, plug-ins and software for the various operating systems. At this time, recent programming languages, such as JAVA, is part of more users' Internet experiences, since almost all recent websites use JAVA and JAVA script and are included not only with the latest PC and browser generations but with several previous generations of PCs as well.
The present invention generally relates to an instant Internet browser based VoIP system. More specifically, the invention is a system and method that can establish spontaneous, instant and entirely browser-based peer-to-peer VoIP on all operating systems, Web browsers and devices in the form of a temporary VoIP client.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a C2Call functionality and user experience, allowing the user to experience VoIP as an entirely web-based application.
What is really needed is a system and method that aims to remove the current existing barriers that prevent convenient VoIP usage and to enable all Internet users to use VoIP as a communications method without the requirements of the users to install and configure software before using VoIP.